History

A concise account of DebreTabor University

Debre Tabor University was established in 2008. Their Excellencies Addisu Legesse and Demeke Mekonen laid the foundation stone on the eastern part of the town about 4 Kms away from its center on 126 hectares of land. This area was previously owned by 268 farmers to whom nearly 10.5 million birr was paid for compensation and rehabilitation. Among the 268 farmers, only 10 ceased farming and engaged in other occupations to earn their living.

It was attempted to construct a total of 134 buildings out of which in the first round 35 buildings, in the second round 32 and in the third round 32 were successfully planted while the final 35 are on construction in 2007 fiscal year. This enables the university to complete its construction a year ahead of the plan of action. With regard to the budget, around 10.5 million birr has been allotted.

When we look into the criteria accounted by the university to call upon the contractors, three basic requirements were considered.

Their construction experience

Low cost

Their timely accomplishments.

These criteria used to contribute their part for the success of the university in fulfilling its infrastructure in time.

Apart from other buildings which are constructed for various services, we have 3 water tankers and 3 transformer-cages. Additionally, the university took green initiative and is planting more than 30 kinds of seedlings/young plants amounting 68,038. The effort continues giving care to the growing and hoping to endow motivating results.

On July, 20/2011(23/11/2003 Eth.c), The Board of the University was organized and started to give direction based on Proclamation No 650/2001.

Then, the assigned presidents started to employ teachers and admin workers as per the responsibilities and obligations of the Ministry of Civil Service. This helped the university to employ 114 M 10 F Total 124 teachers, and 51 M 20 F Total 71 administration workers. This number gradually grew to 383 teachers and 420 admin workers in 2015(2007Eth.c)

In line with students, their population also geometrically increased from 628 in 2011(2004) to 9,224 in 2015 (2007 Eth.C). A sane mind can easily recognize how fast the university made a difference.

We have mentioned somewhere at the beginning that the university commenced its mission in 2011(2004 Eth.c). The efforts made would escape from zero gravity as compared to what has been done in the last four years. The university started its teaching learning process by borrowing classrooms and dormitories from Woreta College of Agriculture and by centering at teaching learning, community services and doing cutting edge researches.

In 2005-2007 Eth.C (2012-2015), the number of directorates, faculties and departments expanded as the population of regular students, instructors and administration workers also increased. This is presented in a tabular form as follows.

Academic

Year

No.of faculties

No.of students

No.of teachers

No.of Admin workers

Remark

M

F

T

M

F

T

M

F

T

2004

(2011/12)

5

311

317

628

114

10

124

51

20

71

2005

(2012/13)

6

1362

668

2030

149

19

168

100

41

141

2006

(2013/14)

6

3464

1558

5022

238

25

263

170

82

252

2007

(2014/15

6

5015

2792

7807

335

48

383

288

132

420

The above statistics indicates the number of students enrolled in regular program. However, when we add
students attending in extension and summer programs; the number of students will rise to 9,224. Having attained these stupendous achievements, Debre Tabor University has also accomplished
impressive duties in other spheres of life. For instance,

Curriculum designing

The first curriculum in kind, a hybrid innovative curriculum, was designed and successfully implemented by our health college. It is called hybrid for it aligns both clinical and non-clinical courses and is innovative as it conjoins theory with practice right on the spot. We have tried to appropriately equip our laboratories by exploiting all our resources though gaps may still avail.

Debre Tabor University has also established 3 different libraries for technology, social sciences and health students. A big library that hosts 2,400 students at a time is under construction. We have equipped 2nd year medicine students with tablets so that they can access technology for telemedicine wherever and whenever they seek to. We, therefore, hope that DTU will afford the society with efficient & confident physicians who can create a magnificent image of their mother university by successfully overcoming their professional as well as societal responsibilities.

Research doing This is an area which our university grants due focus to. The university invested a lot of time, finance and potential to identify thematic areas for researchers. Research guideline is also prepared to minimize researcher’s confusion and facilitate their endeavors.

In 2004 Eth. C only 9 proposals were approved, while in 2005, twenty-one out of thirty-six proposals were accepted and got into work. It ‘s also known that last year (2006Eth.C) 60% of the researches were infiltrated into the community where 20%of consultancy and training services were given on the basis of the finalized researches. This again shows that 60% of the plan was implemented. In 2006 Eth. C, some 13 research works were presented and evaluated by scholars from elderly universities in a research review workshop held at DTU campus.

Community services

Debre Tabor University is also working within the community to promote their beneficiary. For this reason:

Weeding machine has been introduced to Fogera Woreda female farmers who are engaged in rice production.

Malt barley and potato seeds were brought from Assela and Adet Research Centers, and are introduced to Lay Gayint, Tach Gayint and Estie Woreda farmers.

In line with dairy, Jack bull and sheep improvement projects, 149 and 113 households have been respectively introduced.

Camminila Sativa oil seed is also adapted at Awzet Research Site (Farta Woreda) and is introduced to the farmers around.

Another important effort was made in designing a meaningful project to combat against the invasive aquatic weed (Water Hyacinth) around Lake Tana. Short, medium and long term plans are designed and the short term plan is in action.

DTU has also identified and got into Tikur Wuha Water Shed Management.

Eventually, DTU is also providing support to Debre Tabor General Hospital by employing and assigning 4 Specialist Doctors, 23 General Medical Doctors, 3 Anesthetists and 2 Midwives. This aid is assumed to add up energy to the hospital to assist the community meaningfully.

Public and Foreign Relations

Our university has created partnership with 4 local NGOs and 1 foreign organization. It is interested to further its relations with other foreign universities. Therefore, it has begun written communication with two embassies and through them with universities in their countries.

The university is also working to create link with South Korean University through MoE. We are aspired to work hard in this area.

Fair Administration

Debre Tabour University staffs are moving ahead shoulder to shoulder to overcome their mission. This can be justified by what has been achieved every year. For instance, to motivate and strengthen our efficacy:

Collaborative planning, execution and evaluation are enhanced.

Exemplary staffs have been awarded.

Trainings are frequently designed and conducted to both admin and academic staffs in order to shape their views, skills and inputs as per the requirement of the University including combating against rent collection.

Both state and public wings are organized and strengthened

Students’ facilities are given due attention and are fulfilled on time.

Systems are designed to usher grievances as soon as possible.

Student representatives are participating in various issues according to the University’s guidelines and legislation.

Efforts have been made to alleviate teachers’ residences in constructing buildings and facilitating instructors’ requests to have their own private residential sites.

Though not fully implemented, due focus is given for affirmative action in relation to gender, and females are empowered and assigned in different positions.

Experience sharing & visitorship

Every year, our university is visited by different amiable visitors from whom we gained a lot of constructive comments. For instance, The Amhara origin residents of Addis Ababa, members of the standing committees of social sector of the house of people’s representatives, Diaspora whose birth place is South Gondar Zone and different visitors from different universities have been entertained. Eventually, our university benefited from their comments, motivation and moral support.

The Guna Tana Project

This is a noble project designed by Debre Tabor University which is intended to work with the farmers dwelling in the catchment area so as to change their living. Its plan of action & guide line have been prepared and commented in order to run the project according to the set objectives.

Mt. Guna is a water shade where 44 rivers of various sizes emerge. It is the main water contributor to Tekeze and Abay Basins which empty themselves in Lake Tana and consequently in Mediterranean Sea. This shows how significant the mountain is to the people of the Sudan and Egypt. Therefore, it may lay a strong foundation between our country and the lower basin countries in conserving the ecology of the project site. This makes the project huge and testing, not only to DTU but also to the region. We hope to work in alliance with other elderly universities and partners to run the project successfully. Thus, the university is working with strong ambition and vision in this respect.

Prevailing peaceful teaching learning situation

In relation to this issue, DTU is one of the peaceful universities in the country. It is exemplary to exercise secularism. Students are organized at dormitory and building levels to solve their problems through recurrent and consistent discussions. Fast and immediate responses would be given to students’ requests. Apart from this, students are able to access the top management either through their representatives or face to face. Group and individual evaluations are also exercised. We are exhaustively working to wear down our pitfalls from time to time.

Other successful accomplishments

DTU inaugurated its first graduation ceremony with 348 under graduates from four different faculties in 2006/2014 academic year. H.E. Ato Demeke Mekonen and other high ranked officials of the nation as well as the region participated in the festivity. It was so decorated and left its unforgettable traces in our mind.

It was also on the second day of our graduation inauguration that DTU entertained the 7th Annual Forum of the Seven Public Universities of Amhara Region. Immense issues were discussed and were made common for all. Research proceedings were presented and future strategies were designed. To this end, these and other accomplishments were taken into account and DTU was awarded a Gold Medal standing first among the third generation universities in the 24th Annual Educational Conference held at Hawassa.